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The Physical Medium

What is Physical Mediumship?

Most
mediums today work by using their own mind as a receiver and then passing
messages on verbally. Indeed some very
convincing evidence has been given
in this way, and though sceptics have often asked why these messages rarely
contain details of Life on the Other
Side there is a simple answer to this.
Messages which contain personal details can be verified and proven. But
messages about the world of spirit cannot, even if they were to take
time explaining their world, do we yet have the capacity to comprehend it? Probably not, but the need for proof goes
on. Of course there have been
descriptions of the spirit world by spirit communicators, such as those by
Silver Birch, Red Cloud, White Eagle and White Feather, but to name a few. But the average person seeking evidence, the
personal and trivial details about those we knew are much more convincing.

However,
mediumship in the first half of the 20th Century and prior to that,
concentrated on producing physical results.
Early demonstrations by the Fox Sisters consisted of sounds coming from
the walls and floors of their home.
Investigators were unable to find a logical explanation for these
noises, and so the sisters were further investigated and tested. On one occasion they are reported to have
been made to stand on tables covered with feather pillows and their skirts tied
up above their ankles. Still the
rapping noises were heard and once again no logical explanation could be
found. As their mediumship continued
other unexplained events were noticed, including objects moving, heavy tables
levitating and hands and faces appearing.

In
there days such events as table tilting became very popular. This often involved a group of people
sitting around a table calling out letters of the alphabet and waiting for the
table to tilt when a correct letter was called. It was a slow and cumbersome method and
quite easily faked by fraudulent mediums.
But even so, some excellent evidence was still achieved.

Perhaps
it was the extraordinary talents of Daniel Dunglas Home (pronounced HUME) who
was to bring Spiritualism to the recognition of the general public. Materialised forms were often seen around
him, hands appeared and melted away.
Musical instruments would start playing. Home was also well known for his fetes of
levitation. During his séances it was
reported that his chair would rise from the floor with him still in it. Home was never found guilty of any fraudulent
mediumship, even though like most mediums of the era, was accused of it.

Since
the late 19th and early 20th century when physical
mediumship came to the very forefront of psychic phenomena, it has dropped off
considerable. Now there are few
physical mediums and fewer people prepared to give up their time to the
dedication that is required to develop this form of medium. It is a long and hard road of selfless
commitment, but the rewards are magnificent.
Especially, when you finally get physical proof, from a loved one or
friend, that life does continue after the death of the physical body.

What makes physical
mediumship so unique?

First
we need to understand the difference between the physical mediumship and the
mental mediumship. This is quite simply
that, the mental mediums see, hear and sense everything in their head, or by
touch, and then interpret the message received before passing this to the
person or client. Mental mediums are
able to work anywhere, in broad daylight without the need to be in a trance
state. The messages however, are due to
interpretation by the medium and the accuracy of these messages will depend on
the time and dedication the medium puts in to their development.

The
physical medium on the other hand is usually in a deep state of trance, is
unaware of what is happening around them or to them and so any messages that
are brought forward are usually by the mediums guide or the spirit entity
directly by way of direct voice or independent direct voice, which means that
you are talking to them (the spirit) as you and I would talk in any room, but
for them this all takes place in a blacked out séance room, only occasionally
and depending on the development of the medium, is a dimmed red light
used..

The
word physical speaks for its self; anything of a physical nature is
possible during a physical séance. For
example, the movement of objects such as trumpets the playing of instruments,
the materialisation of a spirit guide, a loved one or friend. Voices that can be recognised as family
members or friends come forward and speak to you, even to the point of holding
or shaking your hand, touching you and even kissing your cheek. Although all attempts at touching by
sitters is strictly forbidden, except when invited to do so by the controlling
spirit guide. (The reason for this will
be explained in the next paragraph.)

How are all these things
possible?

In
a one word explanation; Ectoplasm. So what is ectoplasm? Ectoplasm (from the Greek ektos and plasma;
exteriorised substance), is a substance that is drawn mainly from the medium,
but also the sitters to a lesser degree, which, either by the subconscious self
or by discarnate intelligences produce phenomena of a physical order which
includes part or full materialisation of spirit entities. What we can say is that ectoplasm is matter,
invisible and tangible in the primary state but assumes vaporous, liquid or
solid conditions in varying stages of condensation. It emits a smell that is reminds of Ozone or
damp and dank clothing. It is known
that ectoplasm is drawn from any and every orifice of the medium and them
moulded into what ever the spirits require, i.e. a voice box, a rod even a mask
for materialisation or transfiguration.

It
also believed that the spirit chemists working on the other side with for the
medium add other substances to the ectoplasm to make it more pliable and
workable in our atmosphere. Without
these additions it could not be worked in the same or visible degree.